I have always wanted to work with animals. Since I was a small child I have wanted to be a Vet, travel the world and work with Elephants and Orang-utan’s (they have always been my favourite animals). Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I just wasn’t good enough at the Sciences (especially Biology…which you HAVE to have to be a Vet) and so this dream sadly ended, and I realized it would never be able to become a reality.
Every so often I have a little bit of an upset and downer, and wish that I had tried just that little bit harder, but it’s too late now. Becoming a Vet takes many years, and after 2 years of Uni studying Media and Communications, I really don’t want to be a student forever. I still dream about working with Elephants and Orang-utan’s, I often wish I had taken a gap year – worked, saved up, and then spent it on travelling to Borneo and Thailand to do some volunteer work with them. Unfortunately, for many reasons, a gap year just wasn’t an option for me.
This evening a programme was on
TV called
‘Nature’s Miracle Babies’, which follows Zoo’s around Britain trying to help endangered animals to breed. Today it was focusing on Gorillas and Elephants. Every time I see an
Elephant or Orang-utan on TV I just want to cry! Just the thought of my dream and the fact it probably won’t ever be able to become a reality. I always wanted to become a Vet and then do animal husbandry, ie; look after the baby Elephants and Orang-utan’s. ‘Nature’s Miracle Babies’ showed
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, who take in and raise orphaned Elephants.
It was so beautiful seeing what the keepers do for the infants, and although it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, or idea of ‘living the dream’, I wanted to be one of those keepers – becoming a surrogate family member, sleeping next to them at night, getting up every 3 hours for the feeds, helping them to physically and emotionally recover from losing their mother, and being there for them and helping them for the first years of their life before they are eventually ready to move on.
So I went on to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust website to see if they do any volunteer schemes/work experience/intern-ships…basically ANYTHING that could get my foot in the door to work with these animals! But no. They do not accept volunteers because of strict Kenyan laws regarding foreigners working or volunteering :'( my heart sank. I guess when I finish Uni I’m just gonna have to have a gap year and go to Borneo and Thailand and just ‘visit’ the animals…not exactly the same as working with them, but I guess it’s better than nothing. I’ve even searched all the Zoo’s in this country to see if they do work experience or intern-ships or anything…nothing. They only accept Vet students. *sigh*
Catherine Lux
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of Content Marketing at Amazon by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
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